3 Tips For Making The Most Of Your Self Storage

Self storage costs money. A nominal amount maybe but still, it costs to have it, so why not use these 3 top tips to make the most of the space you are renting?

1. Know How Much Space You Really Need

When all your belongings are spread out in your home it is easy to think you need a room the size of your living room to accommodate all your stuff. But remember in a self storage unit you can use the full height of the unit to store stuff in a way you wouldn’t if you were using your items each day. It is advisable to ask your local self storage facility how much space they recommend as they are experts in fitting as much in a unit as possible. But also remember that it is fine to stack items if you are storing everything at once and removing everything at once but if you need regular access to items then you may need some empty space left in the unit so you can walk inside and check what you need.

2. Pack All Items Carefully

It should be obvious that carefully packed items will survive a stint in self storage much better than items thrown into the first box that comes to hand. It is always a good idea to use the packaging and boxes that items originally came in. So TVs, computers, kitchen gadgets – pack them in their original boxes if you still have them. Otherwise make sure everything is in a sturdy box and cannot rattle around. Pad empty space with curtains, bed linen or towels to avoid breakages.

Don’t overfill boxes as they will be difficult to carry – this is especially true of books. Use small boxes for them and they will not end up being too heavy.

3. Stack Everything Carefully

Heavy boxes should always go on the floor of your storage unit with medium weight items on top and lighter items on top of that. Long items like beds and sofas can be stacked vertically to make better use of the space; or if the beds can be dismantled, even better. Mattresses and upholstered furniture like sofas and armchairs can be covered to keep off dust and moisture but never use plastic covers as they will just trap moisture underneath the cover – this is moisture that might already have been in the air around the item or within the item itself. Far better to use traditional fabric dust sheets to protect your fabric items.

Don’t be tempted to stack boxes or anything else on top of soft items like sofas or mattresses as they can create permanent marks and imprints to the foam fillings.